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The GMC Hummer EV could spawn a smaller electric truck

Over 90,000 motorists have reserved a GMC Hummer EV, and the truck's relative popularity has convinced executives to consider launching a smaller and presumably more affordable model. While nothing is official yet, the Hummer EV's smaller sibling could be a midsize pickup. Citing "people familiar with the matter," Automotive News reported a smaller Hummer EV exists in the design studio that General Motors operates in California. There's no word on what it looks like yet, though it presumably borrows at least some of the rugged-looking styling cues that characterize the controversial, 9,200-pound truck. Interestingly, the smaller model could bring the Hummer name to Europe. It's too early to provide technical specifications. The model hasn't received the proverbial green light for production but Automotive News added that it's a "priority project" and that it has "a good chance of going into production." If and when it does, it's reasonable to assume the truck will use the Ultium battery technology found under the full-size Hummer EV, among other electric models from General Motors. GMC hasn't commented on the report, and it hasn't announced plans to launch a second Hummer-branded electric pickup. If the report is accurate, the baby Hummer is at least a couple of years away from hitting showrooms. First, the Hummer EV SUV will enter production. We've been here before: a downward expansion is exactly how the now-defunct Hummer brand was born. The military-bred H1 spawned the H2 for 2002 and the H3 for 2006. An even smaller off-roader previewed by the 2008 HX concept was planned but ultimately canned. Related video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.

GM readying aluminum-body fullsize pickups

Ford's extensive use of aluminum in its 2015 F-150 is a big deal. A really big deal. Big enough, in fact, that General Motors is reportedly changing its fullsize pickup strategy. According to The Wall Street Journal, The General has locked in partnerships with Alcoa Inc. and Novelis Inc. - companies that will supply aluminum for the next-generation Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra trucks.
"Ford's introduction of the 2015 F-150 pickup truck was a game changer, and it's the first, not the last, conversion of this type," Novelis spokesperson Charles Belbin told the Journal. The switch to aluminum has allowed Ford to shave roughly 700 pounds off its fullsize truck's curb weight. And while official mileage ratings have not been announced, the weight loss should go a long way for improving efficiency, especially when combined other efficiency-minded improvements including better aerodynamics and new, turbocharged V6 engines.
Of course, aluminum-bodied cars are nothing new. But extensive use of aluminum in a major, best-selling product like the Ford F-150 is expected to kick off widespread use of this weight-saving material as availability rises and cost decreases. The WSJ reports that GM had originally explored the idea of moving to aluminum pickups back in 2008, but abandoned the idea due to cost concerns amid economic woes.

U.S. Army purchases GMC Hummer EV for Light Recon Vehicle testing

The military has been analyzing alternative powertrains for a while, and working with GM vehicular products in that field for at least seven years. In 2016, we got a look at a rebodied Chevrolet Colorado ZR2 with a hydrogen fuel cell powertrain developed by GM and the US Army Tank Automotive Research Development and Engineering Center. In 2017, the automaker created its GM Defense division, winning two contracts for conventionally powered trucks in 2020 and 2021. The Detroit Free Press reports that alt-energy is heavy in the frame, the Army having opened a bid for an electric Light Reconnaissance Vehicle (eLRV). Ten companies showed up with product for a demo last year, at least two of which were electric. The U.S. military's largest branch already purchased a single Canoo EV for testing, now it's also bought a new GMC Hummer EV. It's possible that the specific capabilities of an EV are responsible for the Army's quest. The branch canceled its previous LRV program in 2016 that intended to replace the Scout HMMWVs, which were purpose-built versions of the ubiquitous old Hummer. Military.com wrote that the parameters for that search were a rig that could "carry six soldiers, with a total payload 2,100 pounds. The vehicle must not exceed 11,669 pounds so it can be carried internally or sling-loaded by a CH-47 Chinook helicopter. The vehicle must be capable of mounting a weapon system, such as a 30mm cannon, which can engage targets accurately at a range of at least 1,000 meters." Last November, CNBC reported GM Defense was working on a Hummer EV-based military vehicle. Hummer being Hummer, it's likely GM began exploring the martial route once it greenlit the return of the brand. Last year, Defense Secretary Kathleen Hicks told CNBC, "Electrifying the non-tactical fleet, that’s a no-brainer," but the search for an eLRV signals an eye on something more intense than shuttling troops. Breaking Defense reported in 2020 that the Army was "working with a non-profit consortium of more than 200 companies and universities developing clean transportation technologies, CALSTART." Task and Purpose said the Army's brief for eLRV missions was, "'enhanced mobility, lethality, protection, mission load capacity, and onboard power' for six soldiers to conduct both mounted and dismounted reconnaissance and surveillance missions for Infantry Brigade Combat Teams." That's not necessarily frontline service, but it's not necessarily a garrison shuttle, either.